Red fame had always brought trouble. After Cheng Qiaomei's sudden rise to stardom, she met Gu Yingxi—the woman destined to be her downfall. By then Gu had already established herself in the entertainment industry under men's support, quickly gaining a foothold. Though plain-looking, Gu possessed an air of delicate vulnerability that could attract fans when properly packaged with good scripts and media exposure. Her demure, ingénue image flashed across billboards frequently enough to amass her own following.

Cheng Qiaomei had risen abruptly without such male entanglements, making her naturally disdainful toward Gu's strategy. After repeated encounters, Cheng found the other woman's perpetual "tear-streaked" theatrics increasingly grating. Their interactions were reduced to cold glances until Cheng's best friend began secretly pining for Xia Zuo Yin of the Xie family.

Gu Yingxi maintained several high-profile romantic connections while claiming disinterest in them, yet secretly viewed these men as her possessions. She could tolerate Lan Jiu's flirtations but demanded absolute loyalty from others. Upon learning Cheng's friend had feelings for Xia Zuo Yin, Gu wept bitterly before feigning self-sacrifice to "help" the two reunite. Her act of "graciousness" earned male admirers' affection while her enemies met a much darker fate.

A few men seeking revenge on behalf of Gu orchestrated an accident that instantly killed Cheng's best friend—a far more merciful death than Cheng would receive weeks later. While investigating her friend's murder, Cheng discovered secrets better left buried. Instead of avenging her companion, she found herself ruined mere days afterward. Unlike the quick death her friend had received, the men responsible for Gu's jealousy—spurred by Cheng's beauty and fame—didn't kill her outright. They exiled her to an A-grade adult film production company where her name became synonymous with scandalous content that poured out in countless varieties.

Ning Yunhuan had once shared a class with Cheng Qiaomei until she saw grainy stills from Cheng's films circulating online. Though heavily made up, Cheng's eyes held none of the vitality one expected from celebrities—only the vacant stare of someone completely controlled. A year later, news surfaced that Cheng had committed suicide after being diagnosed with AIDS.

In her previous life, this woman had been a tragically unlucky soul who'd encountered the heroine and met such an ignoble end. Ning Yunhuan hadn't paid much attention to her in her first lifetime but now—occupied with dealing with Gu Yingxi—had no reason to connect with classmates. Many women had suffered similarly due to encounters with Ning in past lives, so it wasn't until hearing this girl's voice today that memories surfaced.

Given her own previous life hadn't been much kinder than Cheng Qiaomei's—and having endured humiliations at Lan Chens hands through no fault of her own—Ning sighed as she considered the girl. Despite appearances suggesting otherwise, the girl seemed open-hearted and direct. When Ning realized this stranger had spoken up for her today, a small smile curved her lips. She decided to return the favor within her capabilities.

The girl returned Cheng Qiaomei's smile with one of her own—Cheng Qiaomei looked like she'd stepped out from a red-light district, her thick makeup emphasizing that very air. Ning remembered past rumors about Cheng supposedly being the mistress of a triad boss... yet now the woman just appeared to be an airheaded big sister.

"I told Huanhuan to stay with me, not you," Liu Zhen bit out, her lips twitching. She hated Cheng Qiaomei's presence enough that if anyone else had asked she might have let it slide—except it was Cheng.

The ringing phone in Ning's hand silenced the argument before it could escalate.

"Still at school?" Lan Lingshan's voice came through clearly. He knew exactly which class Ning should be attending, recognized her surroundings instantly by ambient noise, and his tone darkened immediately: "Someone bothering you?"

The previous incident with Qin Yi had served as a warning about campus safety. While Su Ying had increased security measures after the kidnapping attempt, minor troubles remained inevitable.

"Wait for me at school," he ordered before disconnecting abruptly. Ning barely registered the dial tone before Lan's authoritative presence sent her blood pressure skyrocketing.

Lan Lingshan certainly didn't like taking orders—especially not from himself. He'd become so accustomed to getting his way that even now, a mere eyelid twitch was all it took before tucking her phone away.

With Lan arriving soon, Ning settled back against the seat as Tang Xiuyuan's mood soured further. As he worked quickly, female students lingered nearby, gawking at him like zoo animals while making his patience wear thin.

"Washing your face should clear up whatever active ingredients you touched," he snapped after examining Liu Zhen. "Unless you need to be reminded that most skincare products contain substances causing allergic reactions?" Tang clearly mistook her for another flirtatious admirer—his sharp words nearly made her cry.

"I've never used anything with those components!" Liu protested, recognizing the warning signs in his expression. The students' smug stares only deepened her humiliation since she knew exactly what they were thinking: some girls still used questionable products despite clear advertising warnings against harmful additives. As a naturally pretty girl who'd built her popularity on innocence and approachability, this accusation stung more than she expected.

"Then explain why your face is red," Tang coldly challenged, watching as Liu Zhen's teeth clenched in frustration. He was already annoyed at finding yet another taken woman with the same superficial qualities he despised—how many "pure" girls had he ruined during his years abroad?

Even though he himself hadn't maintained monogamy, traditional ideals still made him want to be the one initiating women into adulthood. For casual encounters? Only if they looked like angels in human form.

His distaste for Ning only deepened as he vented on Liu Zhen—something that surprised even Cheng Qiaomei, who'd been ready to mock Liu's plight moments ago.

As tensions escalated, Lan Lingshan's voice cut through the chaos: "Come out."

He'd already arrived at the classroom but found no one there. Knowing his husband's temper, Ning simply turned and summarized the situation during their drive.

She noticed Liu Zhen had excellent skin that seemed naturally flawless despite never using cosmetics. Whatever caused her reaction wasn't from beauty products—high-concentration chemicals appeared in many fields beyond just skincare. The mystery remained unsolved until they reached campus where Lan immediately called Su Ying for answers.

Sure enough, two minutes later Su Ying's call came through with explanations about the chemistry experiment gone awry. Lan knew this was another attempt to cover up something suspicious but let it slide—for now.

Back in his office, a middle-aged professor flipped pages of an academic journal while Su Ying glared at him for allowing lab chemicals to leave unmonitored. The man argued that mild reactions weren't worth the fuss, but Su Ying was more concerned about protecting certain influential figures whose students had accidentally been exposed instead of Ning herself.

A week later, Lan Lingshan's purchased radio station began broadcasting across satellite networks nationwide. As planned by Lan Biao, carefully curated celebrity guests started appearing on the program Ning had requested—each star eager to appear despite their usual reluctance toward due to the producer's reputation for getting his way with minimal resistance.

By this time, Ning was already asleep against Lan Lingshan, who held her close while suppressing urges to tear through the fragile peace she'd regained. Her cautious behavior reminded him of earlier days when fear had made her eyes wary rather than trusting—and that terrified him more than anything else.

Lan Biao had never lacked connections among high-ranking officials and wealthy elites. Beyond those circles, he also maintained relationships with A-list celebrities. Most would recognize his name and extend him the courtesy he deserved, yet this time Lan Biao stumbled into a problem - one of his current targets was Ming Yu, a rising star in the film, television and music industries.

Ming Yu had launched his career five years earlier as the leading man in an idol drama. The director's shrewd talent scouting proved prophetic, discovering the medical student turned actor just as the series propelled him to instant stardom. Since then he'd climbed steadily into A-list status, successfully expanding his repertoire across all entertainment mediums. His international breakthrough came through a major Hollywood production where he delivered such commanding performances that he became equally renowned both domestically and abroad.

（：1） 2）"medical student turned actor""" 3）"commanding performances"， 4）"""crawled steadily into A-list status"）